INTRODUCTION: How to Use This Book vii
CHAPTER 1: What is the CBEST? 1
CHAPTER 2: LearningExpress Test Preparation System 7
CHAPTER 3: Diagnostic CBEST Exam 25
CHAPTER 4: CBEST Mini-Course 63
CHAPTER 5: CBEST Practice Exam 1 155
CHAPTER 6: CBEST Practice Exam 2 195
APPENDIX: How to Use the CD-ROM 235
Contents
v
T
his book is designed to help you pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST®). It con-
tains all the information you’ll need to help you improve your chances of achieving a good score—
in the shortest amount of time possible. There are three components to your success on the CBEST:
this book, a sample CBEST CD-ROM, and most importantly, you yourself.
The Book
As you will discover in subsequent chapters, one of the most important skills for a test-taker to have is that of
being a good reader. Good readers often begin with an overview of the text they are about to read. So, if you
haven’t done so yet, you may want to look at the Table of Contents. By doing this, you will know what to expect.
Since time is of the essence, knowing what to expect offers you the freedom and opportunity to focus on what
you think is most relevant to your goals.
After having browsed the Table of Contents, you can then turn to Chapter 1, “What is the CBEST?”
This chapter tells you what the CBEST is; it provides you with the Who, What, When, Where, and How, those
How to
Use This Book
CHAPTER SUMMARY
So you have to take the CBEST, and you’re wondering if this book can
help you. The answer is YES! Read on to see how . . .
vii
all-important details such as who must take the test, what it’s like, when and where it’s given, how it’s scored, and
how to register.
Once you know this basic information, you can skip right to Chapter 2, our innovative LearningExpress Test
Preparation System. It is packed full of test-taking tips and advice developed by leading test experts exclusively for
LearningExpress. This chapter shows you how to get prepared—physically, emotionally, and mentally—to take
the CBEST. It also shows you how to use this book to set up your own study plan.
Chapter 3 is the first of three sample CBEST exams in this book. You can take this first exam as a diagnos-
tic exercise to see where your strong and weak points are. Remember, in conjunction with this, you have access
to a CD-ROM—that you can take and score at any time—to give you additional test-taking experience.
Next is Chapter 4, the “CBEST Mini-Course.” This Mini-Course—successfully used for CBEST test prep
classes in California—reviews everything you need to know to pass the CBEST. Conveniently divided into 24 les-
sons, you can cover it effortlessly in just half-hour pieces. The first pages of Chapter 4 give you an outline of the
topics covered in each of the 24 lessons. You can work through the whole Mini-Course from start to finish, or you
can pick out the areas that you need to work on most and just concentrate on those. If you’re still having trou-
ble after working through the lessons in a given area, check out the last section of Chapter 4, “More Help with
Reading, Writing, and Math.” This section lists other books you can turn to for more in-depth advice.
Then, in Chapters 5 and 6, you have two complete, three-section, sample CBEST exams, to help you prac-
tice your test-taking skills. Once finished with your practice test, you will be able to self-evaluate your progress
with the answer and scoring explanations included at the end of each of these two chapters. Answer explanations
are written in a friendly, informative, yet conversational tone, so you can quickly diagnose your weakest areas and
see where you might need more work.
There’s nothing like having a lot of practice under your belt to make you feel confident when you go in to
take the real exam!
The CD-ROM
The CD-ROM that comes free with this book includes hundreds of practice questions. You may choose to take
one or more of your practice exams using your computer rather than writing the exam on paper. (You should
take at least one practice exam on paper, though, since that’s the format you will have to use when you take the
real exam.) Or you may simply want to try some practice questions in Reading, Math, or Writing. You can do it
either way; the CD-ROM gives you the option to take a complete test or select as many practice questions as you
want. The CD-ROM will score your practice test or practice questions and let you know how you did. It will also,
if you choose, show you the correct answer for each question and tell you why the answer is correct.
You have the option, when using the CD-ROM, of writing your essay either on paper or on the computer
using a pop-up word processor. Either way, you should take your essay to a teacher or other professional you know
to help you score it, using the scoring criteria the CD-ROM will distribute for you. (Unfortunately, computers
aren’t yet smart enough to grade a written piece!)
–
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
–
viii
You
The most important factor in your success on the CBEST is you. You can’t put this book under your pillow at night
and expect to improve your score. But you can use this book, and the test scores from the CD-ROM, to find out
where you need to improve and what you need to know. If you carefully follow all the steps in the LearningEx-
press Test Preparation System, you’ll be fully prepared for the CBEST, and you will go into the exam knowing how
to conquer this all-important test.
–
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
–
ix
CBEST
California
Basic
Educational
Skills Test
C
alifornia Education Code (Section 44252) requires that teachers, administrators, and other school
practitioners demonstrate adequate proficiency, in English, of three basic skills: reading, math-
ematics, and writing. Administered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc. (NES®), the California
Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST®) was created to assess and verify these skills. The CBEST is not a meas-
urement of teaching abilities or skills, but is rather a tool for measuring proficiency in the more basic, necessary
skills as indicated above—skills employed by all school practitioners at the elementary, secondary, and adult edu-
cation levels.
By law, the CBEST provides separate scores in each of these three areas, and acceptable scores must be
achieved in each area to meet the requirements of this code relative to credentialing and employment in Cali-
fornia—and Oregon.
In July 1984, the CBEST guideline was adopted by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commis-
sion (TSPC). Within six months, satisfactory CBEST scores were made mandatory for initial licensure in Ore-
gon as a teacher, personnel specialist, or administrator. The CBEST test requirement is additional to other
licensing requirements as set forth in the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS, Chapter 342), and the Oregon Rules for
CHAPTER
What is the
CBEST?
CHAPTER SUMMARY
This chapter provides the Who, What, When, Where, and How of the
CBEST—those all-important details such as: who has to take it, what
it’s used for and what it’s like, when and where it’s given, how it’s
scored, and how to register.
1
1
Licensure of Teachers, Personnel Specialists, and
Administrators (OAR, Chapter 584).
Who Must Take the CBEST?
California
In California, you are required to take the CBEST if
any one of the following provisions applies to you:
■
You are applying for a teaching or service creden-
tial for the first time.
■
You are applying for issuance or renewal of an
Emergency Permit unless you already hold a valid
California teaching credential for which a bache-
lor’s degree is required.
■
If you have not taught during the 39 months
prior to new employment, the CBEST may also
be a condition of employment under CEC Sec-
tion 44830. If you are uncertain whether the
CBEST is required in the school district where
you are considering employment, contact them
for the necessary information.
■
You are applying for admission to either a
teacher-preparation or service-credential pro-
gram approved by the California Commission on
Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), unless you
already hold a valid California teaching credential
for which a bachelor’s degree is required.
Oregon
Oregon requires passing CBEST scores prior to initial
credentialing as a teacher, personnel specialist, or
administrator, unless one of the following provisions
is met:
■
You can document five years of full-time, licensed
employment in public schools in another state.
■
You already hold one type of Oregon license and
are a first-time applicant for a license of a differ-
ent type. For example, an Oregon-licensed
teacher who applies for an initial personnel spe-
cialist license does not need CBEST scores.
■
You give evidence of passing scores on Praxis I, or
the NTE Core Battery Test of Communication
Skills and General Knowledge.
Who is Exempt from the
CBEST?
California
In California, you are exempt from taking the CBEST
for the following kinds of employment:
■
Instructor of adults in an apprenticeship program
■
Teacher in a children’s center or a development
center
■
Teacher in any subject for which a bachelor’s
degree is not required
■
Provider of health services, unless you are also
required to teach
■
Student Teacher status, which requires a Certifi-
cate of Clearance
■
Educational Specialist in Deaf and Hearing
Impaired, or School Counseling Services, where
the individual seeking employment is prelingually
deaf. Service under this option is limited to state
special schools or to classes for students who are
deaf or hearing impaired. However, those who
choose this option are required to complete a
job-related assessment in lieu of the CBEST
■
Any position where a valid, non-emergency Cali-
fornia teaching credential is held which requires a
bachelor’s degree, and for which CBEST is not
required for renewal
■
Any position that requires the renewal or reis-
suance of a clear, or professional clear, credential
NOTE: CBEST states that candidates wishing to
obtain an Exchange Credential, a Sojourn Credential,
–
WHAT IS THE CBEST?
–
2
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